The Cooperstown Music Festival announced the events scheduled for its 25th-anniversary celebration, taking place at various places around Cooperstown during the month of August.
The Cooperstown Music Festival 25th anniversary celebration includes concerts with a variety of acts, as well as a performance from the traveling Caroga Arts Ensemble. Founded in 1999 by flutist Linda Chesis, the festival has been bringing world-class chamber music performances to the Cooperstown area. The festival has featured performances by the American, Juilliard, St. Lawrence, Jupiter and Jasper, String Quartets, and more.
Kicking off the festival is Harry Allen’s All Star NY Saxophone Band on Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Otesaga Resort Hotel. Jazz saxophone legend Harry Allen joins forces with Ken Peplowski and Grant Stewart on tenor saxophone, Gary Smulyan on baritone saxophone, James Chirillo on guitar, Mike Karn on bass, and Aaron Kimmel on drums for an evening of small group jazz with a big band feel. On Aug. 8 at 7 p.m., also at the Otesaga Resort Hotel is Nuevo Tango: JP Jofre and Tommy Mesa. Argentinian bandoneon master JP Jofre will join forces with the highly-acclaimed Cuban-American cellist Tommy Mesa for a program exploring the fusion of classical music and tango, performing works by Astor Piazzolla alongside original works by the Grammy-nominated Jofre.
Harry Allen’s All Star Band. Left column: Ken Peplowski, Grant Stewart, Gary Smulyan; Center: Harry Allen; Right column; James Chirillo, Mike Karn, Aaron Kimmel
Continuing on Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Otesaga Resort Hotel is Caroga Arts Ensemble: A String Serenade, a “round robin” musical extravaganza with works ranging from quartets to chamber orchestra. On Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Christ Episcopal Church is All-Bach, where CSMF Artistic Director Linda Chesis combines forces with festival favorites Joseph Lin, violin, Michael Katz, cello, and the inimitable Bradley Brookshire on harpsichord, celebrating the music of J. S. Bach. In addition to performing a selection of Bach’s instrumental sonatas, they will be joined by Glimmerglass Festival Young Artists Emilie Kealani, soprano, and Kyle Tingzon, countertenor, for performances of Bach’s beloved arias.
Caroga Arts Ensemble.
Finally on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. at The Farmers’ Museum is the Borromeo String Quartet with Linda Chesis on flute. Hailed by the Boston Globe as “simply the best,” the quartet returns to the Cooperstown Music Festival to perform Beethoven’s op. 127 as well as works by Amy Beach and Elena Alberga. To purchase tickets and find out more information about the festival, visit here.
The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) has announced the launch of a new 44-piece string orchestra for New York City residents ages 10-18 years old, named Crescendo.
The brand-new orchestra Crescendo will provide access to outstanding music education for a diverse range of students affected by the pandemic. In addition to weekly ensemble rehearsals, students will receive chamber music coaching, workshops, and masterclasses with professional musicians as well as guidance on audience engagement, careers in the arts, audition preparation, and more. Students will study and prepare music by historically underrepresented composers, including women, members of the LGBTQIA community, and people of color, as well as standard works from classical composers.
The New York Youth Symphony was founded in 1963, internationally recognized for its award-winning and innovative educational programs for talented young musicians. It was awarded the 2023 Grammy for Best Orchestral Performance – Classical, the first youth orchestra to win a Grammy in this category. The NYYS has provided over 7,000 students opportunities to perform at world-class venues including Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, and The Times Center, all while learning valuable skills like commitment, discipline, focus, and collaboration.
Music Director of Crescendo, Tanatchaya Chanphanitpornkit
The Music Director of Crescendo is Tanatchaya (Tanya) Chanphanitpornkit, who is no stranger to the impact music can have on a child’s life. “I never had access to, or really knew about playing music until I came to the United States. In Thailand, it wasn’t part of the conversation at all, and it has made me understand the importance of access and education right here in our own backyard.” She was born into poverty in the farmlands of Thailand, and it wasn’t until she moved to New Jersey at the age of 10 that she had some exposure to classical music in middle school, and after her father’s death, she dived into playing the bass. “It is with that experience that I truly believe that Crescendo could not only help the lives of youth around NYC, but the world by bridging the gap in music education and teaching everyone the power of music and building a love for it,” she added.
Crescendo’s Ensemble-in-Residence for the first year will be the Aizuri Quartet, who has had a relationship with NYYS for several seasons through the Chamber Music and Composition programs. They will be holding four sectionals – two for each concert cycle, performing with the orchestra at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall on April 21, 2024, at 3 P.M. Crescendo will perform an additional concert at Merkin Hall on November 20, 2023, at 7 P.M. For more information, visit here.
Gretsch Drums have announced “Gretsch Night in New York City,” a special one-night-only event to celebrate 140 years of Gretsch Drums history, featuring performances by revered drummers Mark Guiliana, Will Calhoun, Nate Wood, and Bill Stewart, on May 23 at The Cutting Room.
Founded in Brooklyn in 1883, Gretsch Drums is an iconic American drum brand manufactured in Ridgeland, South Carolina. For 140 years, this award-winning company has been providing “That Great Gretsch Sound” to drummers around the globe, including Phil Collins, Vinnie Colaiuta, Cindy Blackman, Ash Soan, Steve Ferrone, and Keith Carlock, among others. The 140th celebratory concert will take place on May 23 at The Cutting Room in NYC.
The Cutting Room sits at its new location on East 32nd Street between Park and Madison, building on a decade of history that includes some of today’s top performers like John Mayer, Lady Gaga, Sting, Sheryl Crow, and David Bowie, all of who have graced the stage at the previous location. “We wanted a place where up-and-coming artists could get seen and established artists felt comfortable playing club gigs. We wanted a place with great sound, creative food, and cocktails where the venue itself was as beautiful as the music,” says Steve Walter, the venue’s owner.
There are multiple revered drummers performing at the celebratory concert, including Mark Guiliana, who has played on over thirty recordings including David Bowie’s final album Blackstar, and has been described by the New York Times as “a drummer around whom a cult of admiration has formed.” Bill Stewart has played in the John Scofield band since the early ‘90s, although his extensive credits have seen him record with artists including Maceo Parker, Pat Methany, and Lee Kopnitz, as well as solo records.
Other drummers included in this special event include multiple GRAMMY award winner and longtime drummer for Living Colour Will Calhoun, who has performed and recorded with a diverse array of notable artists such as B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Carly Simon, Public Enemy, and more. The final musician is Grammy-nominated drummer and multi-instrumentalist Nate Wood, founding member of the quintet Kneebody. He has also performed or recorded with many notable artists including Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, Brian May and Roger Taylor (Queen), Sting, and more.
For more information about this special one-night-only concert celebrating Gretsch Drums 140th anniversary and to buy tickets please visit here.
The Caroga Arts Collective announced the complete Caroga Lake Music Festival (CLMF) 2023 programming, featuring more than 125 artists for over 35 concerts, starting May 27 and ending Sept. 15.
Photo by Kevin Bacon.
The Caroga Lake Music Festival features many performances, as well as the second annual edition of the CLMF Lesson & Ensembles Program, providing music workshops and individual or small group lessons, led by Caroga Arts Ensemble artists, to community members looking to learn new instruments or hone their talent. “We’re excited to bring a robust lineup of artists to Caroga Lake for our 12th summer season,” said Kyle Barrett Price, Founder and Artistic Director of the Caroga Arts Collective. “Our concerts will feature a diverse array of genres, classical, jazz, rock, and everything in between, presented lakeside at Sherman’s Park and at other beloved venues across the region.”
The venue is important to the wider community, notes Dr. William Crankshaw, Caroga Arts board member and Superintendent of Schools at the Greater Johnstown School District. “Caroga Arts is breathing life into musical arts in our communities, and even in our schools. The potential to offer students the opportunities to experience a wide variety of world-class musical programs, not to mention exposure to string instruments and summer ensembles, excites me. There have been hundreds of educators in our region who have been pining for these types of opportunities, which, until now, were only available to communities with the resources and affluence to do so.”
Over the course of its five-week season, the Caroga Lake Music Festival 2023 will feature more than 20 touring guest artists and ensembles at Sherman Park. Well-known names include Grammy-nominated folk singer Judy Collins, group Baha Men, known for the Grammy-award-winning song “Who Let The Dogs Out,” husband and wife duo The War and Treaty, the Zac Brown Tribute Band, Queen tribute band: Almost Queen, and many more. CLMF will also highlight up-and-coming artists such as Laufey, an Icelandic musician and songwriter who recently ranked #1 on Billboard’s Alternative New Artist Chart. Returning performers include Eddie Barbash, performing at Sherman’s Jazz Fest; The Ultimates, back for a Labor Day concert with fireworks; and Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra at Fiesta Caroga, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.
For the second time in its 12-year history, this year’s festival will include a full symphony performed conductorless by the Caroga Arts Ensemble, Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony on Aug. 11. Also happening are two world premieres, including “27 Steps,” an immersive theater experience presented in partnership with Utica Dance and family-friendly “Louie the Loon,” composed by Brian Shank based on a short story by Julian Muller, which will be performed at a Kids Carousel Concert. Caroga Arts will return with its five-week-long artist-in-residence experience, 100+ musicians living amongst the community and curating unique chamber music and orchestral collaborations as part of the Caroga Arts Ensemble. These artists hold positions as leading soloists, chamber musicians, and orchestral musicians from across the country, performing in the Met Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Verona Quartet, KASA Quartet, and more.
In addition to collaborations at Sherman’s Park, CLMF resident artists will be featured at partnering venues and festivals across the region in the CLMF on Tour performances. These include Little Falls at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, the Johnstown Midsummer Concert Series at Charles Jenner Memorial Band Shell, Barge Concert at Canada Lake Store & Marina, the Cooperstown Summer Music Festival at Otesaga Resort Hotel, shows at the Glove Theatre, and more.
Barge Concert at Canada Lake Store & Marina.
For the first time ever, Caroga Arts are offering a 2023 season pass, with discounted premium seats. To learn more about Caroga Arts and the Caroga Lake Music Festival 2023, as well as reserve tickets, visit here.
2023 SEASON SCHEDULE
Sherman’s Concerts
Sat, May 27 @ 7 PM – Zac Brown Tribute Band
Sun, June 4 @ 3 PM – Alex Moffat and Friends: A Comedy and Music Block Party
Sat, July 1 @ 2 PM – SAUNDERSFEST, artists to be announced
Sat, July 15 @ 7 PM – Tommy V Live
Wed, July 19 @ 7 PM – The Gibson Brothers
Fri, July 21 @ 5 PM – Caroga Arts Collective Gala, featuring Tony DeSare and the Caroga Arts Ensemble
Sat, July 22 @ 7 PM – Baha Men
Wed, July 26 @ 7 PM – Rich with Caroga Arts Ensemble
Fri, July 28 @ 7 PM – “27 Steps” World Premiere – Caroga Arts Ensemble, Utica Dance
Sat, July 29 @ 7 PM – Almost Queen: A Tribute to QUEEN
Sun, July 30 @ 7 PM – “27 Steps” – Caroga Arts Ensemble, Utica Dance
Wed, August 2 @ 7 PM – Laufey with Caroga Arts Ensemble
Fri, August 4 @ 7 PM – Musical Kaleidoscope: A Tribute to Jonah Poplove
Fri, August 4 @ 9:30 PM – “Dime-a-Dance” with Kyle Athayde Dance Party
Sat, August 5 @ 11 AM – Kids Carousel Concert – WARP Trio
Sat, August 5 @ 5 PM – Sherman’s JazzFest – Kyle Athayde Dance Party, Eddie Barbash with KASA Quartet, WARP Trio, Miriam Elhajli
Wed, August 9 @ 7 PM – Concert by Candlelight: An Evening of Encores
Fri, August 11 @ 7 PM – Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony
Sat, August 12 @ 11 AM – Kids Carousel Concert – “Louie the Loon” World Premiere – Composed by Brian Shank
Sat, August 12 @ 7 PM – Judy Collins with Caroga Arts Ensemble
Wed, August 16 @ 7 PM – Grace Kelly Quartet
Fri, August 18 @ 7 PM – The Coda: A Chamber Music Round-robin
Sat, August 19 @ 7 PM – The War and Treaty
Sat, September 2 @ 7 PM – The Ultimates (with fireworks)
Fri, September 15 @ 7 PM – Fiesta Caroga: Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra
Caroga Lake Music Festival on Tour
Thur, July 20 @ 7 PM – CLMF on Tour: Caroga Chapel
Sun, July 23 @ 3 PM – CLMF on Tour: SVAN at Mayfield Presbyterian Church
Thur, July 27 @ 7 PM – CLMF on Tour: Little Falls at Emmanuel Episcopal Church
Sun, July 30 @ 2 PM – CLMF on Tour: Pecks Lake at Pecks Lake Marina
Thur, August 3 @ 6 PM – CLMF on Tour: Johnstown Midsummer Concert Series at Charles Jenner Memorial Band Shell
Sun, August 6 @ 6 PM – CLMF on Tour: Barge Concert at Canada Lake Store & Marina
Thur, August 10 @ 7 PM – CLMF on Tour: The Glove Theater
Sun, August 13 @ 2 PM – CLMF on Tour: Lorenzo State Historic Site
Tue, August 15 @ 6 PM – CLMF on Tour: Cooperstown Summer Music Festival at Otesaga Resort Hotel
Thur, August 17 @ 7 PM – CLMF on Tour: Arkell Museum
Sun, August 20 @ 12 PM – CLMF on Tour: Brunch Concert at Paul Nigra Center for the Creative Arts
Sun, August 20 @ 6 PM – CLMF on Tour: Caroga Museum
Sat, August 26 @ 6 PM – Caroga Arts Ensemble: Maverick Concerts
The State Theatre of Ithaca has announced the inaugural “Benefit My State Variety Hour,” showcasing what the theatre has to offer and the stories behind why the historic venue truly matters to the Ithaca Community, featuring performances by many well-known acts.
The historic State Theatre of Ithaca is Tompkins County’s last remaining historic theatre, enriching the community since 1928, operated and preserved by the non-for-profit organization State Theatre of Ithaca Inc. The theatre is active and hosts many national, international, and community performances and programming, from comedians to world-class musicians. The Benefit My State Variety hour is being produced by The State Theatre of Ithaca and DSP Shows.
Dan Smalls of DSP Shows explains that “This event is a pretty amazing way to show off all the great things that happen at the State Theatre. Sure we do tons of great internationally touring music and comedy acts, but here we can show off the best of our local organizations side by side and also share a passion for this building. Every one of them has a fabulous State Theatre Story to tell and on May 17 we will hear all of them in addition to seeing their performances.” Performers include Sam Nelson of X AMBASSADORS, Richie Stearns, The Ithaca Ballet, Running To Places, Galumpha, Southside Community Center’s CUMEP, and more.
The “Benefit My State Variety Hour” is The State Theatre of Ithaca’s biggest fundraiser of the year. “Over the past decade, our “Benefit My State” concerts have been a fun and creative way to remind this community that The State Theatre of Ithaca is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. This year’s format will be much different than past ‘Benefit’ shows in that we look forward to offering a taste of all of the types of artists that grace our stage to enrich, inspire and connect us at The State Theatre of Ithaca,” said Executive Director, Doug Levine. “Since re-opening after a 20-month hiatus, all local arts organizations are still facing major challenges. There are some signs of improvement, but numbers are still far off from what they were before the pandemic. The funds raised through this benefit concert will directly enhance this organization and help ensure a healthy future for this important community asset.”
In addition to general admission tickets, VIP tickets are available for the event. VIP Ticket holders are invited to a cocktail hour after the performance and a meet and greet with the performers. Tickets are on sale now.
The Cooperstown Summer Music Festival will open its 25th anniversary season with a performance by the Ying Quartet on May 7 at 4 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church.
Ying Quartet photo by J. Adam Fenster.
Founded in 1999 by flutist Linda Chesis, the Cooperstown Summer Music Festival has been bringing world-class chamber music performances to the Cooperstown area. The festival has featured performances by the American, Juilliard, St. Lawrence, Jupiter and Jasper, String Quartets, and more. Concerts are held in venues across Cooperstown, including the grand Otesaga Hotel, The Farmers’ Museum, and Christ Church (the church of author James Fenimore Cooper).
The Ying Quartet is an American string quartet formed in 1988 by the Ying siblings, presenting a program entitled “American Made,” opening with Samuel Barber’s Quartet in B Minor, from which his famously moving Adagio movement is drawn. The program continues on with works by Jennifer Higdon and Billy Childs that draw on American roots and bebop music tradition, Southern Harmony and Agitato respectively. The night ends with Quartet No. 13 in G major by Dvorak, a European composer who helped define the American musical voice. “The tradition of American string quartet writing is full of magnificent music,” says cellist David Ying. “We have all of these wonderful composers to thank for contributing to the vibrant American music scene that we enjoy today.”
Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students and children, available now.
Two shows, Billy Joel and Juan Luis Guerra, have been postponed at Madison Square Garden due to the New York Knicks and New York Rangers playoff games.
The New York Rangers will be going up against the New Jersey Devils in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Billy Joel’s concert scheduled for Saturday, April 22, 2023, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 25, 2023, due to this event, and all tickets purchased for the previous date are valid at the new one. Joel’s MSG franchise run will resume as scheduled on May 5, 2023, but fans should note it is subject to change if it conflicts with a playoff game.
Potentially, the New York Knicks will be playing Game 6 of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at MSG, therefore Juan Luis Guerra’s concert scheduled for Friday, April 28, 2023, has been rescheduled a night earlier on Thursday, April 27, 2023, with all tickets honored for the new date.
To stay up to date on the status of MSG events as playoff games keep ramping up, visit here.
Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA award nominee Ana De Armas shocked and stunned viewers with her role as Marilyn Monroe in the biopic Blonde, as well as her other roles, including the critically acclaimed mystery Knives Out. This week she hosted Saturday Night Live with Latin musical guest Karol G.
In honor of the warm weather recently, Saturday Night Live’s cold open took place in Central Park with an award show called the “First Warm Day of the Year.” Reporters (Heidi Gardner and Bowen Yang) took turns interviewing various people you’d see throughout the park, from runners, perverts, first-time rollerbladers, disgruntled park employees, and more.
The monologue opened with Ana De Armas showcasing her bilingual skills, swapping from Spanish to English, talking about how she learned to speak English from the TV show Friends, and different acting classes. Armas discussed her Oscar nomination as well as the fact that she is becoming a U.S. citizen in just three weeks. She finished it off by saying how she feels like she made it because she is hosting Saturday Night Live.
The second sketch, “Matt Schatt Game Show” featured Kenan Thompson as the game show host, with Ana De Armas playing an attractive wife, married to a nerdy, unattractive man with a humourous amount of nipples, played by Mikey Day. Lately, pop culture has been overtaken by the new Barbie movie trailer and SNL references that, utilizing American Girl dolls in a fake movie trailer, bringing the dolls to life.
Other sketches include “Album Recording Session,” about a producer (Devon Walker) trying to record his producer tag, starring Armas and Ego Nwodim as the girls recording it, messing up and joking about his car, his ability to get women, and more. Following that is a sketch about a Spanish class, with musical guest Karol G making an appearance towards the end, singing the Spanish alphabet. The “Please Don’t Destroy” sketch spoke about a bad night out, where they cannot remember what happened, suffering hangxiety.
Colombian singer/songwriter Karol G, described as a reggaeton and Latin trap artist, experiments with different genres throughout her music. She has amassed over 50 million monthly Spotify listeners and has over one billion streams. Her first song of the night “MIENTRAS ME CURO DEL CORA” off of her critically acclaimed record Mañana Será Bonito featured background singers humming the tune to “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” the tempo which is sampled in the track. Everyone was dressed in brown and beige, with a satin curtain background, dancing to the different beat changes the song includes, making the listener want to get up and groove. The vibes are happier on the song as Karol G sings in Spanish, catering to native and non-native speakers alike with her infectious energy and overall good mood.
https://youtu.be/_Q8b-dzZ9gA
Weekend Update rammed in on the Trump arrest and various politicians, from Supreme Court Justices to those voting against a women’s right to choose. Guests include Kenan Thompson as Funky Kong, talking about getting cut from the new Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Sarah Sherman as Genesis Fry, a meditation guru attempting to make Colin Jost become intuitive while making fun of his ego and soft arms. SNL makes it a point to introduce the first nonbinary cast member Molly Kearney as who they are, not a character. Kearney spoke about trans rights, which are a topic of discussion amongst lawmakers, trying to limit their rights, but Kearney makes it a point to discuss how important their rights are, and that we need to protect trans youth.
The final sketches included Armas and others in “Enter Stage Woof: Acting School for Dogs,” featuring actual dogs on the SNL stage, and Bowen Yang, holder of the Guinness Book World Record for the longest nails, with his wife, played by Armas. The sketch takes a shocking turn as Yang cuts his fingernails off, saving their relationship. Karol G performed her last song “TUS GAFTAS” with a completely different vibe change, suddenly in a spiky black outfit laying against a black car, with an all-female backing band, also in all black. The song is heavier than the last, with melodic guitars and a fast drum beat, showing her versatility. She wows the crowd with her stage presence, moving all around as she sings, not stopping the swaying of her hips even when the song stops.
https://youtu.be/BaQ532bS3N4
Pete Davidson will make his Saturday Night Live return on May 6 with musical guest Lil Uzi Vert.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9 p.m. you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up-and-coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Reese Fulmer, Modern Fools, and Northern Faces.
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Modern Fools don’t fall into just one genre, creating music that can be classified as country, folk, alternative, or even indie. Last year they released the track “Misery,” tune into EQXposure on Sunday to hear it.
Reese Fulmer and his Carriage House Band are quickly rising stars in the Capital Region. Fulmer is a bit of an old soul, and his music is reminiscent of Justin Townes Earle, Jeffrey Foucault, John Prine, and Iron & Wine. He will be performing at the Hollow in Albany on April 22, and tickets are on sale here.
Northern Faces is a rock band formed in 2012 featuring Bryan Shortell and Marco Testa on vocals and guitars, and Matt Ippolito on bass. Their single “18” was released on March 17.
Bryant Park Corporation has announced the 2023 lineup for its free summer performing arts series, Bryant Park Picnic Performances, presented by Bank of America, happening from June 1 to Sept. 14.
Photo credit Chris Lee.
Located in Midtown Manhattan, Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances has grown into one of the foremost outdoor performing arts festivals in New York City. Over 75,000 people attended last summer, and nearly half a million watched the live streaming of the free performances. The 2023 season features world-class local artists as well as performers from as far away as Italy, Colombia, Turkey, Finland, and South Africa. More than 20 shows from the 2023 season will be live-streamed for free on Bryant Park’s social media channels and website, reaching national and international audiences. Attendees may bring their own food or purchase from on-site food and beverage vendors near the Lawn.
“Bryant Park Picnic Performances is an uncommonly collaborative project that is meant to showcase the best of the arts in New York City,” says Dan Fishman, Vice President of Public Events at Bryant Park Corporation. “I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate New York than to provide a platform in partnership with the many cultural institutions – large and small – that make this city great.”
This summer, the New York City Opera will host a number of shows in Bryant Park, kicking off the picnic performances on June 1 at 7 p.m. with a one-night-only, staged, and costumed production of Puccini’s La Bohème with orchestral accompaniment, conducted by Maestro Joseph Rescigno. Later on Aug. 18 at 7 p.m., there will be a live music-supported production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville featuring members of the New York City Opera Orchestra. Tenor Alessandro Lora performs a special concert of Italian favorites on Aug. 19. Closing out the New York City Opera series is Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet on Sept. 8, starring Ekaterina Siurina and tenor Won Whi Choi.
New York City Opera, 2018, photo credit Angelito Jusay.
Different contemporary dance performances curated by Tiffany Rea-Fisher will take place in June, starting with Robin Dunn, Buddha Stretch, and Mr. Wiggles with additional artists TBA, marking 50 years of hip-hop dance on June 8. The next day brings Dance Heginbotham, a New York-based contemporary dance company founded in 2011 committed to supporting, producing, and sustaining the work of choreographer John Heginbotham, enriching national and international communities with its unique blend of inventive, thoughtful, and rigorous dance theater works. Two rising stars in contemporary dance, Terk Lewis and Kayla Farrish perform on June 15. Lewis began his formal ballet training at the age of 17 with Tony Calucci at The Dance Extension in Columbus, earning his BFA in Dance from Western Michigan University. He has choreographed his own commissioned works for The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, The Joffrey Ballet School, Black Boys Dance Too (Presented by Bryant Park NYC), and Western Michigan University.
Farrish is a Black American Director merging dance-theater, filmmaking, narrative, and sound score, receiving the Sundance Uprise Grant for Emerging BIPOC Directors, Bessie Awards for NYLA’s Motherboard Suite, the Harkness Promise Award for 2022, and more. The last contemporary dance performances feature two of New York’s extraordinary percussive dance artists, Soles of Duende and Josh Johnson on June 16. Soles of Duende is on a lifelong mission to elevate the joy and music of true collaboration across disciplines and the celebration of the forms they practice, based on the sounds of Tap (Amanda Castro), Flamenco (Arielle Rosales), and Kathak (Brinda Guha). Johnson is a Harlem native, who tap-danced on the trains of New York City to pay for college at Penn State University, going on to perform at many jazz clubs in the city, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, and has made multiple appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Kayla Farrish, photo by Sarah Annie Navarrete.
The Emerging Music Festival presented by Bryant Park and curated by AdHoc returns this summer with some of the best up-and-coming artists today. Starting June 23, THUS LOVE, Psymon Spine, and Katy Kirby grace the stage. THUS LOVE was founded in 2018 by three trans-multi-instrumentalists in Brattleboro, Vermont, Echo Marshall (she/her), Lu Racine (he/they), and Nathaniel van Osdol (they/them). The mission statement of the group is to amplify the voices of those who struggle, tackling weighty themes with startling intimacy and vulnerability. Brooklyn-based dance group Psymon Spine is comprised of Noah Prebish, Peter Spears, Brother Michael Rudinski, and Sabine Holler, taking inspiration from Talking Heads and Os Mutantes along with the rush of the NYC dance scene, fuzing psych-pop and post-punk.
Katy Kirby is an indie rock songwriter, with lyrics focusing on unspoken rules, misunderstandings of all kinds, and boredom, forming a band to work on recording a full-length record. The Emerging Music Festival’s final day on June 24 consists of Ky Vöss, Seramic, Miss Grit, Dead T00th, and More TBA. Vöss is an NYC-based American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, utilizing stark contrasting lyrics, striking visuals, and synthesized melodies to walk the line between otherworldly and deeply human. Seramic (Marcus Foster) showcases a powerfully unique and varied range of influences, releasing two critically acclaimed EPs, combining his love for Prince, gospel, & soul singers of the 70s and 80s mixed with 90’s hip hop and RnB. New York-based musician Margaret Sohn created Miss Grit to function as an outlet for their own analysis and expression of self, releasing their debut record Follow The Cyborg earlier this year.
Dead T00th is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band that has released several EPs, winning OWL Winter Madness (a 16-band, 5-week-long “battle of the bands” at Brooklyn’s legendary rooftop venue Our Wicked Lady). Other concerts include Shaina Taub and Friends on Aug. 11. Taub is an Obie Award-winning, Emmy Award-nominated songwriter and performer. She is an artist-in-residence at Joe’s Pub and at the Public Theater, where she wrote and starred in Suffs, garnering Drama League, Drama Desk, and Lortel Award nominations. She has three solo records released, created, and starred in critically acclaimed musical adaptations of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and As You Like It at Free Shakespeare in the Park, as part of their community-based program, Public Works, among many other accomplishments.
Psymon Spine.
On June 2, Jazzmobile brings trumpeter, Steve Oquendo, to lead a 19-musician Latin jazz orchestra. Other events include the Jalopy Theatre curating a three-part folk festival with bluegrass headliners Michael Daves Quartet Ft. Tony Trischka, Malian kora virtuoso Yacouba Sissoko, and lap steel guitarist Terrell King on June 30, the Classical Theatre of Harlem performing an abridged version of Langston in Harlem, five nights of music presented by Carnegie Hall Citywide, and more. For more information about the Bryant Park Picnic Performances, go here.
Schedule of Events
June 01 – New York City Opera: La Bohème – 7pm
June 02 – Jazzmobile: Steve Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra- 7pm
June 08 – Contemporary Dance: Robin Dunn and more TBA – 7pm
June 09 – Contemporary Dance: Artists TBA- 7pm
June 15 – Contemporary Dance: Terk Lewis + Kayla Farrish- 7pm
June 16 – Contemporary Dance: Soles of Duende + Josh Johnson – 7pm
June 23 – Emerging Music Festival: THUS LOVE, Psymon Spine, Katy Kirby – 7pm
June 24 – Emerging Music Festival: Ky Vöss, Seramic, Miss Grit, Dead T00th – 5pm
June 30 – Jalopy Theatre: Michael Daves Quartet ft. Tony Trischka, Yacouba Sissoko, Terrell King – 7pm
July 07 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra – 7pm
July 14 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Tessa Lark + Michael Thurber – 7pm
July 21 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Magos Herrera featuring The Knights – 7pm
July 28 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Champe-Soukous Collective – 7pm
August 03 – Ailey Moves NYC: Ailey II – 7pm
August 04 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Ndlovu Youth Choir – 7pm
August 18 – New York City Opera: The Barber of Seville – 7pm
August 19 – New York City Opera: Alessandro Lora in Concert – 7pm
August 25 – Accordions Around the World: Diana Burco, Suistamon Sähkö, Ragini Ensemble – 7pm
August 26 – Roulette Intermedium: 75 Dollar Bill, Ka Baird, Additional Artist TBA – 7pm
September 01 – Classical Theatre of Harlem: Langston in Harlem – 7pm
September 07 – American Symphony Orchestra: American Expressions – 7pm
September 08 – New York City Opera: Romeo and Juliet – 7pm
September 09 – Drom: Gaye Su Akyol (U.S. Debut) – 7pm
September 14 – Harlem Stage: 40th Anniversary Celebration – 7pm
